Firstly, In response to the questions posted by happy golfer; no I am not practicing my photo skills and I actually play golf on the weekends and take photos as I please. Nowhere in this blog do I mention that I don’t like the course, in fact I love it, when it’s in good condition. As I state in my introduction, I show the course as it is, if you don’t like what you see then direct your anger and frustration towards management, not me. I am quite glad you enjoyed your round but if you think the course is great now, you should’ve seen it a few years ago when I would’ve rated it as the best I had ever played. The comments above yours, outline some golfers disappointment on the conditions of the course and those serious golfers are who I blog for, lots of them have planned their holidays around it to find the course closed or unplayable when they arrive. Read carefully the comments at the bottom of the page, I didn’t write them but if I had, I would be quite embarrassed. Just the fact that the Open was postponed has to tell you something!
We have had a new greens keeper for around a month and as of tomorrow we will have a new golf Director. I can only hope that things improve and we have our championship course back to its former glory soon. As the course improves you will see nicer photos proudly posted. Thanks to the rest of you for your support.
2 comments:
Dear Mr. Weekendgolfer,
Thanks for your words. I have being playing Penha Longa for the past 7 years during my vacations, and I already know Penha Longa enough to understand their problems.
All I want from my comments is to say that Penha Longa is one of my favourite, from all the world courses I played. Everybody knows, after the first hole played, that clay is the main soil, and clay with water is not the best combination for golf. But what I could notice from yesterday’s game, the team is getting into that now. All over the 7 years in Penha Longa, I have being speaking with a lot of Golf Directors, and all of them agreed that the main problem of Penha Longa during winter is the clay. And if you speak with the current one, you will understand the purpose of all the renovations.
Therefore, I don’t want to keep on going with these comments. All I want to say is that Penha Longa is a must, and for me it will be until I die.
Thanks.
Dear Anonymous,
You may occassionally play PL and enjoy it. No doubt about that. At certain times of the year in the right conditions it is the best there is. problem is the soil/clay/mud whatever you wish to call it. When it rains heavily the place turns into a mudbath. that is what happened over the last 4 months. I as a member was well frustrated at not being able to play. I am certain that WG (weekend golfer) was equally fed up. I think he has done a service to all members and to Penha Longa itself by pointing out the shortcomings. Progress is now being made. The new Greenkeeper is a huge improvement and after just 4 weeks the place is beginning to look like a golf course again.
Thankfully also our Golf Director is now gone as of yesterday. Hopefully his replacement will be proactive, truthful and deliver what he promises unlike the previous incumbent who spoofed for 2 years.
Today would have been the start day for the Open. You say you enjoyed playing the other day. Can you honestly say the course would have been acceptable to the Pro's. No Chance.!
€2 million was spent on the course we are told. Can you see the improvements after playing here for the last 7 years. Look at the photos on the Blog taken over the last few weeks. The place was a bombsite.
Now and only now after all the members complaints is there an effort to improve the soil by tining and sanding. If the Golf Director had had any sense that would have started 2 years ago when they started the "renovations".
You on your occassional visits enjoy it. Great.! Us poor members have had to endure a great deal of crap over the last 2 years coping with a substandard course being "renovated" by an incompetent. You are entitled to your opinion but before you shoot your mouth off make sure you have at least some of the facts.
Yours Tonester.
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